


Chapter 13

by Father_Stefan



Category: Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Genre: After the Island, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Past Character Death, Post-Canon, References to War, Takes place over the span of a year, alot of people did either romantic things or, but mines really tame, kinda slice of life, stuff about murder, this was a school assignment, where we we could write the 13th chapter of the book
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 20:44:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19911931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Father_Stefan/pseuds/Father_Stefan
Summary: What had happened after the ship noticed the smoke from the fire and came and took the kids off the island? Well, this is just what I like to think happened.





	Chapter 13

Lord of the Flies 

Chapter 13 

The Ship and Recollection 

********************** 

For the twelfth time that evening Ralph stared at his clean reflection. He had offered to be the last to use the bathroom, which had forced him to clean himself in a bathroom caked in mud, clay, and paint. He had been in the bathroom for almost an hour, just attempting to get the feeling of sand off his skin and out of his wounds, especially the gash on his rips that had been caused by Jack. Jacks spear that had he had thrown at him for challenging his authority and he had declared himself chief before Ralph ran from the savages’ spears. 

Ralph continued dabbing the sand out of the swollen wound that noticeably laid on his bruised ribs. He had the sudden fear of the knowledge that he’ll have to tell a nurse or even doctor how he got the wound. Apart of him still saying that it was a game, all an accident and that they shouldn’t get in trouble for an accident, however, that part of him was starting to grow smaller and smaller. His eyes were still red from tears caused by memories of those who couldn’t get off the island. Piggy, Simon, the kid with the large birthmark on his face and even some of the littluns he sure couldn’t have made it out of that fire or had died early on without notice. 

He had just finished putting on a new shirt when a knock sounded at the door. Ralph glanced in the direction of the entrance before quickening his progress on the process of buttoning the shirt. “You’ve been in there for quite a while, boy. Why don’t you come out, so a nurse can get a good look at you?” A man, most likely the one who Ralph had spoken with earlier, said. 

*** 

It had been three months since they had left the island, those who have family still alive went back to live with them. Those who stayed had to start working with the ship's staff, mainly just helping with cleaning, they were also given notebooks that some of the other boys had jokingly called diaries. Two of those boys who had stayed where Ralph and Jack, both of which leaned against the railing of the ship as they looked out to the vast ocean, sometimes passing small patches of land. They both held diaries, Ralph was holding it close to his chest, to his heart. Jack, however, held it loosely in hands just above a 50-foot drop into the chilly water. They were simple manila lined notebooks and held what had happened on the island. Well, at least one did. 

“What have you written in the book?” Ralph asked, his eyes not leaving the water. 

Jack scoffed, “Nothing and I’m not planning on writing a thing. Those blokes just want us to write in them so they can have free entertainment later.” 

Ralph nodded, believing that had been the case as well. 

“So?” 

Ralph face of confusion. 

With a huff, Jack continued, “So, have you written anything?” 

“Oh,” Ralph said. “Yeah, I have.” He held the book up to show Jack. It was quickly snatched from the boy, Ralph feared that Jack may throw it to the water, their relationship wasn’t perfect, but it had been getting better, even to the point that Jack would only glare at Ralph once or twice when they have to been in the same room together for more than an hour. “Hey! What are you-“ He was stopped by a shush from Jack who, instead of throwing the book, held it with more care then Ralph had seen him handle anything before. 

Jack flipped through the book before stopping on a random page. “You date and even number the pages.” He whispered and started reading the page out loud. 

“Percival Wemys Madison, a littlun that had gone with his family a few days-“ Jack stopped and glanced at the date at the top of the page. The page had been written last month, he continued. “-ago had been one of the littluns to tell us about the ‘beast’. It was around twilight when he had told us older kids about where he had seen the beast come from. However, due to it being so late for the littluns, he only had the chance to tell Jack before falling asleep. He claimed the monster came from the water, now that I’ve had time to think about it, it was most likely seaweed he saw in the dark. The other littluns always saw the creepers as the ‘beast’, and what is seaweed if not the creepers of the sea?” 

Jack had laughed at the and handed Ralph back his notebook. “I can see the entertainment these soldiers will get from reading your notebook.” Jack stood and began to leave. “Just don’t put too much personal information in that, got it?” Before Ralph could answer, Jack had already started walking down the stairs that lead to the bedrooms. 

*** 

The silence was deafening, it felt as if no one else was on the ship. It had been almost a year since they were rescued. It almost embarrassing how little has happened, Ralph knew the war was still happening, but none of the boys still on the ship have even seen any form of battle since they were shot down over a year ago. The island is still burned in his mind. From Ralphs view out the window, he could see the bright moon and stars in the sky. 

“It’s so quiet in here.” 

Ralph jumped at the sudden noise, Jack stared at him from the door. 

“Oh, it’s only you-“ Ralph quickly stopped when Jack came closer to him. Jack released a sigh as he sat on Ralphs makeshift bed. 

With a quick glance at Ralph, Jack began to speak. “It has almost been a year since we got off that island.” 

“Yeah-“ Ralph started, then continued in a whisper “-and since he died.” 

Jack cringed, although a few boys died he knew exactly which one he meant. Those last few days on the island had started to blend together due to the overwhelming amount of adrenaline that was being pumped through his body. However, some moments were crystal clear, and Piggy’s death hadn’t been one of them. Jack pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind before saying anything to Ralph. “Have you written about?” He finally asked. 

Ralph grabbed his notebook, it was almost full since he started writing in it almost every day for the past five months or so. “Yeah, wrote some of it this morning. It's not all written though, do you still not remember all that happened?” Ralph noticed Jacks eyes becoming sad at the question. In the past year, they’ve started to become closer, especially since almost all the older kids had been dropped off to their parents the second month off the island. 

“Nope.” Jack accepted the notebook from Ralph and flipped to the newest page. It had taken a few months before Jack had been comfortable enough to tell Ralph about his lack of knowledge on what had happened in those last few days. However, when he finally told Ralph their relationship seemed to improve greatly, now they found a form of comfort from each other’s company an even sought each other out when they wanted to get away from the littluns and adults. 

Jack began reading the unfinished passage in Ralph’s notebook. “It has almost been a year, a surprisingly good year, but a year nonetheless, since we were saved form that dreaded island. It has also almost been a year since the death of my unlikely friend, Piggy. I remember the day surprisingly well. Piggy, Sam, Eric and I came to talk with the ‘tribe’ about being rescued and the fire. We began fighting far too quickly and it had only escalated from there. Jack had-” Jack swallowed, seeing his name being mentioned. “-backed right against the tribe and they were a solid mass of menace that bristled with spears” (Golding 180). 

Ralph watched Jack stop, it then took a few seconds filled with heir breathing for him to continue. “I hadn’t noticed at the time but above us, Roger pulled some lever that had caused loud noises, that I now know were falling rocks caused by the much larger rock that had finally hit Piggy and broke the conch shell he had been holding.” The text stopped there, not going into more detail of how Piggy died, besides the mention of the rock hitting him. 

Jack set the notebook on the bed between the two occupants of the bed. Ralph smiled at him and stood to stretch his legs. “Come on,” Ralph began, “We should probably help with the dishes or do something other than stay sitting in quiet.” Jack nodded and stood to leave the room with Ralph.

**Author's Note:**

> I had written this a few months ago but I'm just now actually getting around to posting it. Weird how I seem to only write stuff for classics, I do want to do a fic for Hadestown, but I'm not sure of how much it'll actually be Hadestown or how much it'll be more like the original myth.


End file.
